greatwhitenorth

Searched and haven't found an answer to this in any previous posts. I'll be flying into MXP on Turkish Air, arriving at 2345. My Italian is non-existant but to me it looks like the Malpensa Express doesn't go to Milan Centrale after 2243 til 0543. Is this correct? If so, how would you suggest to get to the Park Hyatt at that time of night? Thanks.

Forstbetrieb

Bus to the Main Station ( Stazione Centrale ) and Taxi from there or only Taxi...

http://www.malpensashuttle.it/e-index2.php

http://www.malpensashuttle.it/carico...23.11.2015.pdf

Perche

Ouch. That's after the last train. The bus from MXP to Milano Centrale is a horrible ride. Not nice at all. Nice bus, very long and boring ride. Then you'd still have to get to the hotel by cab a couple of miles away. Taxis have night fees, a charge for more than one bag, etc. at that hour I'd take a cab to the hotel and figure on spending about 95 euros. Remember, no tipping taxis in Italy. If there are two of you paying 14 euros for Malpensa express or a bus that's 28 euros the maybe 15 for a cab to the hotel, total of around 40-45 euros, to me at that hour the cab is worth it.

Palal

There's a Malpensa Express going to Milano-N. Cadorna 23:56, 0:26, and 1:30, the ride taking 37 min. From there it's either a 15-min walk, or a 5-min taxi ride.

You should have few problems clearing immigration and getting your bags (if any) by 0:26, assuming things arrive on time, which puts you into Cadorna at 1:03, and at the hotel by 1:20.

A cab from the airport will take you about 50-60 minutes, so time savings will be minimal.

Perche

Going to Cadorna could work, but that's quite a tight stretch to get off the plane, through passport control, pick up luggage, down to the train station that will likely be unmanned at that hour, figure out how to buy a ticket from the machine, and get on train by 0:26, 41 minutes after touchdown.

Even then, I don't think I'd recommend it. Milano Centrale is not a nice place to be after dark but at least it's busy, has security, and most importantly in this case, taxi cabs. As you know, taxis don't drive around in Milan, and they won't stop if you try to hail one. You have to go to a taxi stand, or call them on the phone and wait for them to arrive. The taxi stand at Centrale is huge, and there are usually cabs even at 1 or 2 in the morning. Cadorna is a pretty big station and there's a taxi stand around the corner, But like most taxi stands at that hour, even in Rome, there won't be any taxis in the middle of the night.

The streets will be deserted, except most likely by people you don't want around you as a tourist with luggage in a country whose language you don't understand after 1 AM, or after 2:00 AM if he misses the 0:26.

If there are no taxis at the Cadorna station the OP will have to call a taxi company and tell them his location. Most taxi dispatchers don't speak any english, and the OP said he doesn't speak italian. Also, a lot of taxi companies don't bother to answer the phone in the middle of the night and getting one can be a challenge. Sometimes you have to call several different companies before someone will answer.

And he can't walk from Cadorna station to the Park Hyatt. It's almost a mile away and he is sure to get lost, and it's not in a nice neighborhood. Every store will be closed at 1AM so there will be little chance of getting help or directions. If he could have gotten a train to Centrale, then I think it would have been OK, because that place is busy and always has cabs. In most other locations, taxi drivers are not going to sit out in a car at a taxi stand all night in a deserted neighborhood in the hope of picking up possibly one fare.

Somebody very comfortable traveling in Italy and who speaks the language might try to do this to save a few euros, but I personally wouldn't recommend it. Just to give an example, I just Skype called the taxi cab company at Piazza Cardona Luigi around the corner from the train station so I could ask how likely it is that they'd have a cab outside waiting at the stand at 1AM or 2M. I called four times over an hour and never got an answer. I then called the four nearest taxi companies, some twice. None of them answered either, and it's only 9 PM there right now. I'm sure there are cabs at the Cadorna taxi stand right now, but at 1 or 2 AM there might not be any cabs, and I think the OP could find him or herself in a tight spot. http://milano.paginegialle.it/lombar...i-Cadorna.html

ckendall

I do the bus all the time and it is not great but not terrible, especially late at night when there is little traffic. The bus is unlikely to be very crowded and will take a little under an hour.

And if you decide to go to Cadorna and cannot find a taxi (I have found taxis at Cadorna when I went there, but during the daytime) you can download the IT TAXI app and no Italian is necessary. The App calls a taxi from a variety of taxi companies and one is sure to come pick you up (though the meter gets turned on when they head in your direction, so it may not be cheap).

Here is the iphone app there is also an Android version:

https://itunes.apple.com/it/app/it-t...527559443?mt=8

NYTA

If I were you I'd stay that night at the Malpensa Sheraton and go into town the next day on the train.

PWMTrav

I second this. I'm guessing that you'll have had a long day of travel (is your itinerary US/Canada-IST-MXP?) and figuring out how to get to your hotel after midnight is probably not something you're going to feel like doing.

Save yourself a night at the PH or shift your dates, and stay at the on-terminal Sheraton MXP when you arrive. Head to the Park Hyatt the next day. Personally, that's what I'd do, and I do speak Italian and know generally how to get around the cities.

Perche

That's a good idea with the MXP Sheraton. It's an excellent hotel. Depending on the time of year however it can be pricey and often sold out, but worth looking into it. Then you can take the MXP Express in the AM. It's only a few yards from the Sheraton. As mentioned, the bus to Centrale followed by a taxi, is another option (don't walk around Milano Centrale at 1-2 in the morning). For kicks I just tried to call the taxi service at Piazzale Cadorna. There's still no answer. You can always get a cab at Piazzale Cadorna during the day. I seriously doubt the OP will find one waiting there at 1 or 2 AM.

As for the "It Taxi app," it's a nationwide cell phone app a from union of italian taxi companies. It uses your phone to call the taxi cab company nearest to you given your location, and shows you their location by GPS (pretty expensive without an italian SIM card and carrier). And as has happened to me often, taxi companies don't answer the phone in the middle of the night.

Here is the latest user review of the It Taxi app on their own website: "Ieri a Firenze, inizia a piovere forte. Un taxi mi dŕ conferma, ma dopo mezz'ora non si č mai fatto vivo... Guardo il gps ed č fermo in un punto. Probabilmente č a casa a dormire. Proprio nel momento del bisogno..." "Yesterday in Florence it started to rain heavily. A taxi gave me confirmation, but after half an hour it never came. I looked at its location on the GPS and it never left and remained stopped at the same point. The driver was probably home sleeping. Right at the moment of need...."

Really, you don't want to be in Piazzale Cadorna at 2 AM with your luggage, no one will be around except for maybe some teenagers and strangers eyeing you and your luggage from the park across the street.

I think your best options are to take the bus to Centrale then a cab to the Hyatt, although that can be painful at 1 AM. Stay at the MXP Sheraton overnight and go to the Hyatt in the morning if that's possible. Or take a cab from the airport to the Hyatt.

It's not that good to rely on calling cabs in the city in the middle of the night. If you're staying at a hotel they can do it because they can get you a driver, or know someone, but just arriving in Piazzale Cadorna 2AM and expecting to get a cab is not going to be something you should want to do.

PWMTrav

If you're completely set on going to the Hyatt that night, the best option I can think of is to ask the Hyatt to arrange transportation. Hotels have house cars or companies that they work with, and that might actually compel the driver to show up. If they don't, Sheraton MXP. But I'd personally sleep it off at the Sheraton and go the next day.

Perche

True, but you can always get a cab at the airport. The taxi stands there are never empty.

TeamCarryOn

I do not think you will have a problem taking the bus from Malpensa into Milan Centrale at that time of night. I actually find the bus ride from Malpensa nice, and less confusing than the train. With respect to getting from Centrale to PH, I would arrange pick up service with the hotel beforehand. I found taxis in Milan to be shifty at best, and I'd be concerned about what kind of hack you may attract at that time of night.

greatwhitenorth

Thanks for all of the great information. I agree that after a long day of travel, I'd like the easy stress-free option. I contacted the Hyatt and they have a car service but it's €230. We're traveling with another couple and they didn't want to spend the €s to stay at the Hyatt so they're staying at the Hotel Straf, which is a couple of blocks away. I contacted them and they have a car service for €95. Unless I hear otherwise, I'm going to assume that their car service is acceptable. Since there are several comments about not wandering around that time of night, is it advisable to walk the couple of blocks to the Hyatt?

JMN57

I'd be willing to bet that 10E would get the driver to drop you off there so you don't have to walk/carry bags.

ckendall

Yeah it's only a couple of blocks. Worst case a the Straf could call you a taxi and that would be less than 10 Euros.